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Inside the Studio: GOLDYN
Visionary artist Dr. Katharina Goldyn-V. has spent years pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, challenging societal norms, and exploring the intersection of nature, feminism, and utopia. Born in Poland and academically trained at the Institute of Fine Arts in Częstochowa and the E. Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Goldyn's journey has been one of continuous reinvention.
Her work merges the organic and the conceptual—branches, cacti, and natural elements form the foundation of her artistic language. Her series, such as "New Man" and "Female Apostles," question gender roles, religious traditions, and human evolution. From living in isolation in the Lower Bavarian Forest to becoming the owner and professor at Studio Zeiler, one of Munich’s oldest private art schools, her path has been anything but conventional.
In this Inside the Studio interview, Goldyn takes us through her journey, her inspirations, and her unwavering artistic vision.
Read on to learn more in an exclusive interview with GOLDYN :
1. Your artistic journey began with studies at the Institute of Fine Arts in Częstochowa and continued at the E. Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, where you earned your Ph.D. How have these academic experiences influenced your development as an artist?
My artistic journey started even earlier than I officially admit. From the age of 9 to 14, I was already taking private lessons with an artist, where I learned to draw in a strictly academic sense, studying skulls, plaster heads, and plaster figures. From 15 to 20, I attended the Art Institute in Częstochowa, followed by five years at the Academy, where I earned my master’s degree. Later, I completed my doctorate at the Academy. As you can see, it was a long journey.
I received very solid artistic and craft training, both in practice and in art history theory. I believe it is incredibly important for artists to develop their own artistic awareness to create something truly personal. The period when I worked on my doctoral thesis (2009–2011) was a particularly wonderful artistic and intellectual time for me.
2. Having lived in solitude in the Lower Bavarian Forest for seven years, how did this experience influence your artistic perspective and creative process?
This time in the forest CHANGED EVERYTHING for me. I often call myself “Man from the Forest.” The forest can seem magical, but at the same time, it carries great loneliness. My forest story had a huge impact on me—it changed my worldview and my art. In this solitude, a new faith, a new human vision, a new form of art, and even a new religion began to develop.
At the age of 25, after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, I moved to Germany and married a sculptor who was 43 years older than me. In a way, our marriage was a meeting of two different generations of artists. We lived together for seven years in a unique house, far from society but deeply connected to nature. It was an extreme, utopian life—you could even call it ascetic.
However, this place was both a refuge and a prison. I was entangled in a web of unpredictable violence, living under constant physical and mental threat. I was frightened, blackmailed, excluded from society—like a prisoner, a slave.
To overcome fear and forget the pain, I learned to see the forest in a new way. The forest became a place between heaven and hell. It may have been the combination of hard physical labor (creating sculptural works in wood and marble, over three meters tall, using heavy machines) and the extreme nature of my life that finally led me to my new artistic path. There was no turning back…
3. Your work often incorporates elements like cacti and branches, creating a unique visual language. Can you discuss the symbolism of these natural elements in your art?
I let go of classical art and found a new artistic orientation in the vegetative world. Branches, spines, and cacti—all of these became the building blocks of a new world. Cacti can hurt deeply, but they can also bloom beautifully.
I call my paintings with real cacti “biological pictures.” These cacti are real, living beings—existing in an unusual space, inside a painted image. They have found a new place of existence.
The cactus is also a phallic symbol, but in my works, it is not about sexual pleasure—rather, it represents the biological law of fertilization and the continuation of population. In my world, cacti serve as protectors of the protagonists.
It is a dance of joy in life. In the end, my forest is not a dark place—it is a primal, mythological world of creativity and origin.
4. You describe your art as "visionary" and aim to question societal stereotypes and prejudices. Can you explain how this vision shows itself in your work?
Art grows out of life, but also through life. It creates utopian values, commentary, ecstatic syntheses, and analyses.
Today, in times of anti-utopian deconstruction, my search is directed toward rediscovering an old harmony—not in a naïve sense, but in a humanitarian or even heroic aspect, which I believe is the most important element in culture.
Ernst Cassirer writes: "Utopia is not the portrait of the real world and not the real political or social order. It is not a moment in time and not a point in space—it is 'anything'. Since the Renaissance, such 'anything' has passed the test and proven its power."—E. Cassirer, Essay on Man, Introduction to Philosophy and Culture, Warsaw, 1971, p. 119.
From 2004 to 2014, I incorporated natural elements—earth, twigs from the forest—directly into canvases, sculptures, and large objects made of branches. At that time, my artistic decisions defied the dominant trends, and many people found them incomprehensible. However, I believed then, as I do now, that the future of humanity lies in nature, in biology, and not solely in technology or industry.
Over the past several years, we have seen an entire social movement emerge to address environmental catastrophes. More and more artists are exploring the conflict between nature and human impact in their work.
Between 2012 and 2014, I also delved into the topic of homosexuality, particularly in countries where it remains punishable by imprisonment—including Iran, Gambia, and Kenya, among others.
I created large-scale objects, drawings, paintings, videos, and photographs, including the work How Much Does It Cost? One of my films, Aware of Rights and Duties (2014), tells the story of a same-sex couple (two women) and their journey toward parenthood.
5. In your "Female Apostles" series, you reinterpret traditional Christian iconography by replacing male figures with female ones. What message do you aim to convey through this reimagining?
In my vision, women take on new religious roles—as female priests, popesses, and cardinals in the Catholic Church.
One may ask: Is this just a crazy vision? Or will it one day become a normal reality for both women and men?
In my utopian reimagining of Christian tradition, the idea of replacing male apostles with female ones challenges centuries of rigid gender roles.
Through my work, I aim to transport viewers into a parallel universe, one where women have broken free from prejudices, stereotypes, and societal constraints.
Mary Magdalene (Miriam) was a misunderstood witness. One of the popes declared her a whore, and popular culture romanticized her as Jesus' beloved. Finally, on July 22, 2016, Pope Francis elevated her to the title "Apostle of the Apostles," restoring her dignity after centuries of misrepresentation.
This opens up important discussions:
What is the role of women in the Catholic Church?
Who was Mary Magdalene to Jesus?
Could she have been pregnant, as some legends suggest, linking her to the Holy Grail (Sangreal)—a symbol of sacred blood and the alleged descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene?
Regardless of the interpretation, one thing is clear: Mary Magdalene’s legacy highlights the essential role of women in the world—as creators of life, leaders, and spiritual figures.
It is time to erase centuries of humiliation and silence. The fight for gender equality in religious institutions is long overdue.
The story of Apostle Junia further illustrates this struggle. Over the centuries, a translation error misrepresented her name—turning Junia into Junas, effectively erasing her female identity.
Even in the 21st century, patriarchal systems continue to tighten their grip on power. Just look at the oppression of women under the Taliban.
I want my art not only to reflect the world but to actively change it. I want it to ignite creative thoughts and sensations, to push people beyond their comfort zones.
It may sound utopian, but as J. Szacki wrote in Meeting with Utopia (Warsaw, 2000, p. 235): "The utopian can be wrong in diagnosis, as well as in foresight, but his effort does not lose meaning. One must not be satisfied with reality or simply accept it. One must seek an ideal. Without utopia, there is no progress, no movement."
6. Your project "New Man" envisions a reimagined human form, challenging traditional gender roles and societal norms. What inspired this project, and how has it evolved since its inception in 2008?
I started working on the concept of "New Man" in 2008, driven by fundamental questions about human anatomy and social structures.
I asked myself:
Did nature have to create humans in this specific way?
Why do women have only two breasts?
Why do men have only one sexual organ?
My thoughts led me to speculate on a post-apocalyptic future. If our civilization were to collapse, would a new world and a new form of human emerge? Would they be "built differently", with altered anatomy and entirely new social laws?
These questions became the foundation of my "New Person" series.
In this work, men and women resemble ancient gods—primordial symbols of fertility and creation.
Women are depicted with voluptuous, multiplied breasts.
Men are represented with a proliferation of phallic forms.
This cycle, New Human (2008–2014), seamlessly transitions into my later series, such as "Female Priestesses", the "Female Pope", and "Female Apostles"—including figures like Mary Magdalene, Junia, and Junas.
In 2024, I introduced a new concept for perceiving artwork.
It is no longer enough for me that people simply view an artwork with their eyes. I want them to experience it physically.
One such experiment took place at Palazzo Pisani-Revedin during the 60th Arte Biennale in Venice:
The Walk-in Picture: Mary Magdalene and Modernity
600 x 300 cm: A painting on the floor (canvas).
600 x 150 cm: A painting on the wall.
Sensation Book
I invited visitors to step onto the paintings—to literally walk on the artwork.
The installation featured 36 motifs titled Little Stories About Mary Magdalene.
Viewers were encouraged to touch the paintings with their feet—whether barefoot or with shoes.
I asked them to let their bodies merge with the imagery, to energetically connect with the depicted story.
Then, they were invited to write down their emotions and sensations in the Sensation Book.
The walk-in picture deteriorates over time—just like our lives, from birth to death. However, the Sensation Book remains, preserving the intangible experiences and impressions of its participants.
7. Your art has been recognized with several awards, including the first prize in the 10-9 Nano Art International Competition in Paris. How have these accolades impacted your career?
It is a great joy for artists when their work is recognized and appreciated.
I only started working with a new medium—photography—in 2014, and by July 2015, I had already won first prize in the Nano Art 10-9 International Competition in Paris. This was a strong signal for me to continue exploring photographic production as an artistic path.
Other awards followed quickly, confirming that my work was resonating within the art scene.
8. You often explore themes of utopia and social critique in your work. How do you balance conveying a message with maintaining aesthetic appeal?
It is possible to balance both.
The first and most important aspects for me are shape, color, structure, material, rhythm, and composition. I must find a form of expression that integrates these elements while still conveying my ideas and themes—without compromising artistic integrity.
Sometimes, it is a struggle, but that is simply part of the artistic creation process.
9. As the owner and professor at Studio Zeiler, one of Munich's oldest private drawing and painting schools, how does teaching influence your own artistic practice?
On the one hand, I share my knowledge and my years of artistic experience.
I teach classical drawing and painting, which also serves as constant practice for me. My teaching includes conceptual thinking and the realization of ideas.
Every person has a different sensitivity and creative process. It is fascinating to see how each individual interprets reality in their own way. This constant exchange motivates me to rediscover and redefine my own artistic path, which has evolved over decades and developed its own strong visual language.
10. What advice would you offer to emerging artists striving to challenge societal norms through their art?
First, an artist must truly determine if this is their only artistic path—if they genuinely feel this deep need within themselves, or if it is simply a superficial reaction to external influences, trends, or impulses.
Walking this path is not easy—it is rocky, challenging, and requires:
Inner strength
Conviction
Faith
Perseverance
Great passion
If you have these qualities, you should not be afraid to challenge society with your art. You must be rebellious and uncompromising.
Without people who had vision, we would still be in darkness today.
Leonardo da Vinci was one such visionary artist.
Goldyn’s work is a fearless exploration of transformation, feminism, and social critique. Whether through biological paintings, utopian visions, or immersive experiences, her art challenges the viewer to think beyond societal norms.
Her journey—from academic rigor to the solitude of the forest, from classical techniques to conceptual revolution—has shaped an artist who refuses to compromise. As she continues redefining art’s role in activism and identity, her creations remind us that without visionaries, progress is impossible.
You can learn more about GOLDYN’s and her work via these links:
Website: https://goldyn.de/
Instagram: @goldynvogl
Facebook: @GOLDYN
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